Candidate Questionnaire

The cornerstone of a free, fair, and functioning democracy rests on a well-informed electorate. It is key that voters make educated choices bolstered by a clear understanding of candidates’ views on issues affecting the nation.

ORG has developed a 2017 candidate questionnaire as a platform for voters to easily access the views and policies of the candidates for their constituency.

Each candidate is given the opportunity to answer a series of questions related to their policy and platform on issues of national importance such as Freedom of Information, Education, Anti-Corruption and the Economy, among others. Candidate’s answers are posted verbatim and tabulated by constituency to aid in comparison.

ORG encourages voters to compare and assess their candidates based on the merit of the policy views expressed and to utilize this tool to ultimately assist in deciding which candidate would best represent their own views and their constituency.

In the event of their election, ORG will monitor how well representatives meet their promises. We encourage voters to also refer back to their representatives policies and hold them accountable over the duration of their term.

Questions for Candidates

General Questions

In your view, what are the three most important problems facing the Bahamas today?

If the next government could enact only one major law what should it be?

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Government Accountability

Do you believe that Ministers should be accountable for the performance and efficiency of their government Ministries?

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act 2016?

Do you support strong legislation to protect “whistleblowers”?

Do you support The Public Disclosure Act of 1977 requiring elected officials, parties, and candidates to submit regular reports on their election expenses, to be made available to the public?

Do you support the Government conducting surveillance on the public for reasons of national security, subversion, public morality, public safety and public order?

Do you believe that the Privy Council should remain the highest court in the nation?

Do you support the independence of the Judiciary and an independent Prosecutor’s Office?

Do you support passage of a legislation which would require regular publication of data on the performance of government agencies and their use of public resources?

Do you support standards and regulations for Political Party Constitutions that ensure the greatest level of democracy?

Do you support passage of a legislation which would require regular publication of data on the performance of government agencies and their use of public resources?

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Education

Do you support requiring all secondary schools to offer civics education that provides theoretical and political and practical aspects of citizenship, its rights and duties; the Constitution, the Westminster system of governance, democracy, and the electoral process?

Do you support requiring curriculum in all schools that focus on social and emotional skills, such as conflict resolution and decision making?

Do you support legislation making it easier to create new learning environments, such as charter schools, designed to provide students and families alternate approaches and resources than currently exist in the public education system?

Do you support requiring all secondary schools to offer job-related apprenticeship programs?

Do you support making regular teacher evaluations mandatory?

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Economy

Do you support public-private partnerships and the outsourcing of certain government functions for greater efficiencies?

Do you support a Fiscal Responsibility Act that would limit government spending and provide more accountability?

Do you support removing exchange controls and the free circulation of both Bahamian and US Dollars?

Do you support government intervention to lower banks’ prime interest rates?

Do you support the reduction or elimination of work permits and fees for firms that pledge to engage in industry-recognized workforce development training?

Do you support reforming immigration policies to balance employment needs with skills, and to improve coordination among government agencies?

Do you support legislation and administrative changes to improve collections and compliance within the current tax code?

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The Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG) is a not-for-profit civic foundation committed to creating dialogue, insights and solutions around accountable governance, education, and economic development in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.